


Trophy

by mammoth_bones



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (hopefully) tasteful plot twists, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Angst, Avatar Tobio, Daishou has too much power, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Possible Eventual Smut, Violence, With some twists, also bloodbending, also running away (from problems), awkward pining, cheesy 20's gangsters (mainly Kuroo), enemies to friends to lovers for sure, heavily based on LoK, hope I didn't forget to tag any of the relationships, just because people die doesn't mean people have to be sissies about it, likely pun abuse, lots of probending, oh well, stop him, that's all I can think of right now, the Avatar retains his title of hide and seek champion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 09:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8484307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mammoth_bones/pseuds/mammoth_bones
Summary: The world is so much bigger and more complex than Tobio could've imagined. Seriously. He can't figure out the single-car trains everyone drives, let alone how to survive in the most diverse city in the world. It doesn't help that his airbending master's a total bag, or that his new probending teammate is distracting for more reasons than just his awesome plays. There's also the mysterious Amon and his legion of Equalist followers who seem to have it out for Tobio even more than the police.Despite all of this, Tobio's got bigger fish to fry. Like the myriad of slimeball politicians and greasy investors that seem to plague the city. There's also the threat of the future, namely Harmonic Convergence, not to mention skeletons from his own closet he still hasn't dealt with. He tries his best, he always does, but what can one boy do when it seems like the entire world is determined to see him fail?For the second time in as many centuries, the Avatar vanishes.However, he is not alone. There are forces at play more sinister than he could've dreamed of that roam unchecked. The race is on to find him and who could be an equally powerful bender before they fall prey to darkness.





	1. Welcome to Republic City

          The first thing Tobio saw once he got off the boat was a broom coming straight for his head. He stepped deftly to the side before breaking into a sprint along the dock, the pounding of his feet drowning out the deckhand’s insults. Tobio couldn’t have cared less what the potbellied man was saying, because for the first time in days he was free. Finally he could feel the sun and the wind and the stares of people as he ran by.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself the give much of a damn about what they thought. Because, for the first time since he was five, _nobody knew who he was_. The feeling that came over him was more liberating than his hasty exit from the ship’s hull he’d stowed away on, all the way from the Southern Water Tribe.

          That might’ve been another reason for the looks, if Tobio thought about it a little. He still had on the thick furs that would’ve been necessary back home. Not here, though. Oh, no. He squirmed as a bead of sweat ran down his spine.

          Tobio skittered to a stop. Where was he, exactly? He spun around, taking in the short green grass and carefully rounded trees surrounding him. The tall building of downtown Republic City lay a little ways in the distance. The gleam they cast from the sun reflected in Tobio’s own blue eyes. So cool! Nothing back home was that big except the icebergs. But even the walls around the training facility where he’d spent most of his life looked like nothing more than a barn compared to the defining feature of the Republic City skyline. There it was. Republic City’s famous probending arena in all its golden glory. _That_ was where Tobio wanted to be.

          His stomach announced other plans with a growl. “Food!” He announced it aloud, because it must’ve been at least two days before he’d eaten anything that wasn’t packed in boxes on the ship. In a place as big as Republic City, there had to be food somewhere close by.

          Tobio began walking towards the city centre, albeit at a much slower place. The park was an interesting place to be with its not-quite-natural flora and curving gravel paths. There were even little bridges to cross over tiny creeks.

Tobio attempted to jump one and ended up with sopping boots. He stuck to the paths for the most part afterwards, only deviating to give a crowd of angry people with flyers a wide berth. They were jamming papers into the hands of anyone walking by while their apparent leader stood atop a table and shouted through a cone.

          “Firebenders?” Tobio wondered. Things were a lot different now than a hundred years ago, but maybe some of them still thought the Fire Nation deserved to rule the world. Tobio hoped not; Republic City was supposed to be a place where everyone could live together without killing each other. “Whatever.” The only firebender Tobio had gotten to know was his firebending master Nekomata. _Former,_ Tobio reminded himself. It had taken him sixteen whole years before he’d finally mastered water, earth, and firebending, a feat he’d managed several days before. Screw airbending. He’d manage fine without it.

          It took Tobio all of two seconds to find a food vendor once he’d left the park. It had ended unnaturally, a row of hedges giving way to bustling streets dotted with those weird singular traincar things that had no visible engine. Tobio had severely underestimated how terrible they were to steer; he’d nearly been flattened when dodging another one of them.

          “Dumbass!” he hollered back at the two motorists, dangerously close to pulling rank in order to receive a proper apology. Did people here even care about that sort of thing? Tobio shook his head to clear it. They had to, or else there wouldn’t be a massive statue of the previous Avatar in the harbour for people to gawk at.

          “Those are three _yuan_ each,” the vendor, a scraggly old woman, said. Tobio nearly dropped the meat kebabs he’d been holding.

          “Wha?” His head cocked to the side. “I don’t have any money.”

          She squinted at Tobio like he was trying to pull a prank. “Then why did you come here? Get lost, you, or I’ll call the police.”

          Gingerly, Tobio replaced the kebabs. The smell of them made his mouth water so much he tried a different approach.” Maybe I should be the one reporting _you_ , huh? “ He scowled down at the woman. He had no idea where the police station was, but there was no way the old gasbag could know about his cluelessness.

          “Why don’t you back to the Northern Water Tribe, you filthy little beggar? You don’t belong in Republic City if you can’t even figure out how to pay for food.”

          His blood boiled. Tobio wanted so badly to deck the witch across the face, but what went against at least half of the things he was supposed to represent. There were probably better places to find food, anyways. Some old hag with a cart didn’t deserve his nonexistent money. “Whatever,” he growled, storming away. He had never even spent more than two nights in the Northern Water Tribe. His hands curled into fists and burst into literal flames. He supposed he could always threaten her into giving him food, but that was too uncivilized. The police probably wouldn’t be thrilled either.

          The next four carts he tried yielded similar results. One of the people even threatened Tobio with his own firebending if he didn’t leave immediately. Dammit, why did everyone have to be such assholes? This was supposed to be a place where everyone could live in harmony. Clearly that sentiment didn’t extend to hungry newcomers. Not for the first time, Tobio wondered if they’d act any different if he let them know who he was.

          Tobio turned onto a side street several minutes later. A quick scan of the area revealed a diner near the end of the street. Maybe they’d have something extra they could afford to give away. He strode purposefully down the sidewalk, not registering the sudden hush that had fallen over the shopkeepers and patrons. More precisely, there was suddenly nobody to be seen. Even the kuckoo clocks in a display window seemed to be waiting with bated breath. Tobio turned slowly, arms raising in a defensive stance.

          An abrupt shout came from the antique shop across the way. Glass sparkled on the ground where a crystal goblet had been smashed a moment before.

          “I promise I can pay! Just give me one more week! Please! I’ll never be late on a loan again, I swear! Just… don’t destroy my shop.” A gray-haired man stumbled out of the shop’s door, small trinkets flying after him.

          “You’ve had three weeks, old man. I don’t ask for much, just enough to help give myself a livin’. Don’t forget this is Triple Threat territory. So pay up and I’ll be on my way,” another voice growled. A massive ball of flame erupted in the shop just as Tobio was rushing forward to help the old man. He was about to push the shopkeeper into the safety of the empty street when another of those not-traincars reared up in front of him. It stopped close enough for Tobio to see the heat waves rising off the front. So _that_ was where the engine was.

Two figures emerged from within, dressed in muted shades of blue and green respectively. Tobio stood a little taller as their firebending friend circled off to the side, effectively corning him.

          Tobio grinned. These sickly looking greaseballs didn’t stand a chance.

          “Oi, piss off, kid. I’m the boss here, so that means you need mind your own business,” the red-clad one began. He had on a sleazy looking grin, like he firmly believed he and his cronies had already won. That pissed Tobio off even more.

          “I’m looking, but I’m not seeing any ‘threats’ here,” Tobio mocked. It riled them up even more. The green one looked ready to explode and the blue one had a dark expression in his eyes.

          “I’ll show you a real burn, you piece of shit! You’re gonna end up in the hospital!” The red guy lunged at Tobio, using both of his arms to send a blast of fire at his face. It was slow enough of an attack for Tobio to sidestep and direct the blast away with a more controlled flick of his own hands. That seemed to surprise the pathetic gangsters, who had probably assumed he was just some random waterbender boy who had no clue what to do in life.

          The green one, clearly an earthbender, tried next. Tobio supposed he was either drunk or made of noodles by the floppiness of his movements. This was child’s play compared to the training he’d received back home; he could’ve dealt with this street scum when he was twelve. It became a bit of a challenge when all three of them attempted to spar with him at once. Time to level the field. Tobio spread his feet apart, allowing himself to settle in a stable base for his next attack. He thrust both fists forward, allowing the followthrough to send a massive chunk of the street and earth below it directly at their vehicle. A quick jump forward at the trashed piece of metal slammed into the storefronts further back on the street.

          The trio’s priceless expressions brought a slightly deranged grin to Tobio’s face. These bastards had clearly messed with the wrong Avatar.

     The waterbender finally took his turn, guiding water out of a flask at his belt and shaping it into shards of ice with a deft twitch of his gloved fingers. The wall of rock Tobio brought up in defense could’ve been accomplished by any particularly tenacious five-year-old. Keeping his hands steady, Tobio slammed the wall back to the brick buildings across the street, flattening the waterbender’s arms to his sides. He bent the fresh puddles off the ground and into a water-whip he froze around the earthbender, who struggled so furiously he tipped over, limbs still pinned.

     Tobio caught the eye of their ringleader. One firebender left between him and winning. Gazes locked, they circled each other at a snail’s pace. Both seemed to already know the outcome of the encounter before it was over, yet neither seemed eager to make the first move. It was something Tobio was unused to, having only sparred against benders hired to simulate immediate and aggressive battles. Not this… waiting. The stalemate lured Tobio into just enough of a trance for it to take him almost a full second to register the sudden cord wrapped around his opponent’s arms.

     “What the hell?” The street was cast into shadow as a cloud covered it without warning. Tobio looked up in wonder. No. That was most definitely not a cloud. “Blimp? Who the hell has a-“

     “ _REPUBLIC CITY POLICE FORCE. THIS IS THE CAPTAIN SPEAKING. I ORDER YOU TO REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE AND TO NOT RESIST ARREST.”_ The booming metallic voice came from the blimp itself. Another one of the cords shot down from somewhere above, landing a foot away from where Tobio stood.

     “Shit,’ he whispered. This was definitely a big fuckup. But they couldn’t get him in trouble if they couldn’t catch him, right? And the way back to the park was fairly clear, so…

     Another one of the metal ropes sealed the deal. Tobio took off back the way he’d come from, causing the same sort of stir he had on his earlier sprint as he retreated to the safety of the park. The stiffness of the branches barely gave way as Tobio dove headfirst into the carefully maintained shrubbery. It was impossible to hear the whirring of the blimp over his own heart; it pounded with the adrenalin of both a fight and the reality of being chased. The though that had his turn of the Avatar cycle fallen one place before, this was the sort of thing he would’ve faced on a daily basis. Tobio couldn’t deny the spike of fear through his chest, but it was almost exciting, in a way. It told him the freaking _police_ took him seriously, even if he had no idea why they wanted to arrest him. He was only trying to help the shopkeeper! There may have been minor… okay, major collateral damage. But that couldn’t be helped. Still, Tobio was able to prove he was worth more than whatever his asshole older brother had to say about him.

     Tobio waited several tense minutes before daring to emerge. He’d meant to do it cautiously, just in case someone observant was watching nearby. Once his foot caught on a root and he flopped gracelessly out of the bush, any hope of stealth was gone. So was his dignity, by extension. The only thing that seemed to notice him was a young raccoon-swan watching from a tree. Tobio stuck his tongue out at the stupid animal when is seemed to guffaw in an almost human way. Still better than a person.

     Tobio picked a handful of twigs from his sleek black hair and peered cautiously out from his copse of trees. Surprisingly enough, the remnants of the angry mob from earlier were still at their little gathering. Only about fifteen people remained, but it was enough of a crowd for Tobio to feel it was a suitable hiding place. Better than a stupid pokey bush.

     He walked up as casually as possible so as not to garner any of their notice. It didn’t work, of course, because Tobio could bullshit about as well as he could airbend. Which was, to say, not in the slightest. The woman standing atop the pedestal smiled warmly at him.

     “Welcome. brother. The Revelation is upon us.”

     Tobio blinked in confusion. “What’s the Revelation?” He took the flyer one of the other people thrust into his hand reflexively. It had some writing and a picture of a masked man on the front, with the back covered in solidly coloured blocks that seemed to resemble some sort of map.

     “We will bring Republic City the equality between benders and non-benders we all deserve,” she said warmly, avoiding his question. “Wouldn’t you like to be free of the oppression of benders we face every day?” Tobio stood there, trying to process what was being said to him. Nope, nothing was making sense. His mouth flopped open and closed while the woman continued, “Amon will save us all.”

     “What the hell?” Tobio found his voice again. Judging from the slightly hostile stares the crowd turned on him at that statement, it wasn’t the response he was supposed to give. “Like, I just got here, but I haven’t seen any problems between anyone! Nobody needs any ‘Revelation’ or whatever you think some Amon guy is gonna bring you.”

     One of the men closest to Tobio jostled his shoulder roughly. Tobio staggered back in surprise. He hadn’t expected a brawl so quickly. “You’re probably a bender, aren’t you, boy? “ the guy sneered, glaring up at Tobio.

     “You got it,” Tobio growled, eyes narrowed in annoyance at this stuffy little man who looked better suited to sitting in front of a desk all day than challenging an almost literal force of nature. “I’m the Avatar.” This statement was met with a chorus of loud booing.

     “Oppressor!”

     “Destructive!” someone else added.

     “Go back to the ice and stay there!” another voice hollered.

     “All of you, shut up!” Tobio roared, losing his patience. These people were nothing more than mosquito-flies, so tiny and insignificant they could be swatted away with a flick of Tobio’s wrist. “Tell your leader to stuff it and you can all go back to your sad little lives and be…” He had to think about it for a moment.” Uh, sad. And don’t say bending sucks,” he silenced one stray call with a glare, ”because it’s the coolest thing ever! It’s too bad you can’t experience it firsthand, but you can still appreciate it or something if you go watch the probending matches.”

     The ones closest to Tobio stepped back suddenly. The entire group had fallen silent, looks edged with fear. Good. Maybe they were getting the message.

     Something flashed at the corner of Tobio’s vision, and then he was laying on the ground before he realized he’d been punched. He grabbed the right side of his face where the knuckles that connected and swore. Fuck, that hurt.

     “It’s _too bad_ ’’, is it? That’s what we are to you, you piece of shit? Something to feel sorry for while you have the world on a silver platter?” A hand fisted in the front of Tobio’s jacket. “You’ve done _nothing_ to help the world, bastard, so therefore you don’t get to tell us shit about what we should do, okay?” The person shook him roughly until Tobio cracked his non-swollen eye open.

     “Fuck,” Tobio hissed. His face _hurt_.

     The guy who’d punched him couldn’t have been more than two years older than Tobio. He would’ve been absolutely stunningly gorgeous, too, if it weren’t for the raw and unrestrained hatred in his emerald eyes. Tobio tried to shy away from the intensity in the older teenager’s face but was stopped by the ground pressing into the back of his head. His lip curled in disgust at Tobio’s squirming. The last time someone had looked at Tobio this way was the final explosive battle between him and his brother. Still, his brother’s glare hadn’t held an undertone of _murder_ when they’d fought.

     “Piss off,” Tobio choked.

     Someone coughed uncomfortably. The jarring noise scraped at the tension like a butterknife on stone. “Um, police.” Tobio wanted to point out they were probably there for him, but he hadn’t quite reached that level of alertness. His heart beat right out of his chest and back to the safety of the bushes. He was also paralyzed, more scared than he’d been in all his years of mastering the elements.

     The beautiful guy’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance for a brief second. “Here come your precious _earthbending_ police to save your pathetic ass. And look at this,” his melodic voice took on an eerily singsong pitch, “the mighty Avatar needs rescued from a lowly non-bender. You’d better hope you stay as a figurehead, because you’re the weakest excuse for an Avatar the world has ever seen.”

     “We have to go,” the same voice from before interjected. It let out a keening whine until Tobio was released with a shove. He gasped in a breath he hadn’t meant to hold.

     “Remember,” the guy leaned in until his breath ghosted against Tobio’s ear, ”Amon will find you, and when he does, nothing and no one will save your bending from him.” He stood for real this time, slipping away with the grace of a quiet breeze.

     The air was squeezed out of Tobio again when a new face appeared above him several moments later.

     “Shit.” Tobio pushed himself up on his elbows. The mob had disappeared without a trace, even the horrifying one and his friend. The only hint they’d existed at all was the crumpled paper in Tobio’s fist. “Wh-what the hell were they?” He directed the question at the green- and black-clad figures now surrounding him.

     They remained silent, faces obscured in the partial coverings of their standard-issue helmets. The officer closest to Tobio hauled him up unceremoniously. “You’re under arrest, Avatar. Please stop trying to escape. It’s annoying and a major inconvenience to us all.” He sounded about as miserable as Tobio felt. Was he really just a useless figurehead? No, that was ridiculous; he’d spent his life training to be somebody that mattered.

     “Oi, Cadet, that’s no way to get a promotion,” one of the others said. Something in the way the apparent cadet was standing told Tobio he was ready to blame Tobio for the scolding and punch him.

     “Hands out in front,” he sighed, the eye-roll visible even from under the helmet.

     Another bark. “Be professional!”

     Tobio provided no resistance as the exasperated police trainee detained him, mind too busy with the thought of _how can you take someone’s bending?_ He assumed that’s what the angry man had meant. But how was that even possible? As far as Tobio knew, _he_ was the only one who was supposed to be able to do that. And he wouldn’t be doing anything that advanced until after he mastered airbending.

     “Don’t you want to hear what you’re being taken in for? “ The other officer asked. He sounded a couple years older than Tobio and the cadet. Tobio figured he was some sort of mentor, judging by the older brother-style banter the two kicked up on the way to the police station. They’d filed in to one of the carriage things from before.

     Tobio shrugged. “What does it matter? I caught the bad guys.”

     “As well as completely destroyed a city street, damaged the stores of several shopkeepers, and sent an automobile _through a glass front building_. Nice work, King. Is that a metaphor for other parts of your life too?” The cadet’s haughty drawl grated on Tobio’s nerves as much as his patronizing words.

     “ _Kei_ ,” the mentor snapped from his place beside the silent driver in the front, “don’t be rude. You have to treat every suspect with the same level of respect as you would the chief, even if they are your childhood hero.”

      The automobile hit several sudden bumps in the previously smooth road. The cadet, Kei, apparently, had his fists clenched in his lap, the cause of the cracks in the road. Tobio smirked in spite of the deep pit of shit he was falling in to.

     “Hypocrite,” he scoffed. “Childhood hero?”

     “Shut up! This idiot was referring to the way I found Avatar Kiyoshi to be… motivational in my _very_ early attempts at mastering earthbending,” Kei growled. “Why am I even telling you this? I don’t know or like you.”

     “You wrote a love letter,” the mentor piped up.

     “Now who’s being unprofessional?”

     The officer in front laughed, turning his head to the back seat. “I’m Akiteru, by the way. Don’t mind my little brother. He’s just grumpy today, but I’m not allowed to say why or he’s promised to never speak to me again.”

     Tobio nodded stiffly. There was nothing he could think to say in response, which prompted the four into an awkward silence that stretched until the massive stone façade of the police station took over the horizon.

     “So, Avatar, is there anyone we can call to some pick you up? Friend? Maybe a parent? ” Akiteru asked lightly.

     Tobio’s stomach clenched involuntarily at the mention of ‘parents’. The officer had no real way of knowing about where he’d come from; it was Tobio’s understanding the Order of the Blue Lotus kept details about his life fairly secure. “Uh, my brother is in the city somewhere, but I haven’t heard anything about him for a few months,” he volunteered.

     “Okey… anyone else?” They had stopped in a part of the station that seemed entirely dedicated to automobile storage. Each one had an assigned space in the high-ceilinged area; they had pulled in to the fourth from the right. The initial excitement of seeing the metal beasts had lost its shine to Tobio. He studied a group of dirty-looking people arguing over the smoking hood of one of the automobiles while trying to come to terms with the fact that _it_ would have to happen eventually. He handed over the contact name to a wide-eyed Akiteru with much reluctance and braced for the coming shitstorm.

 

~~~

     “Rise and shine, buddy. Time to go.” A gruff voice lifted Tobio out of the doze he’d fallen into several hours later.

     He stretched, wincing at the ache burrowed deep into his back after leaning against the wall for the better part of the morning and early afternoon. They’d put him in a sparse holding cell with a bench running three walls of it and a fourth made up of only metal bars that Kei pretended not to sneak glances through. After a while of sneering back and forth, the cadet had gotten bored and presumably wandered off to bully some unlucky coin thief. Tobio shot a rude gesture at his retreating back, an unacknowledged promise that one day they’d meet again on equal territory and fight it out like they were both itching to.

     Tobio lifted his gaze to a pair of seething brown eyes. He gulped. “Keishin, I-“

     “Can actually go and stuff it for all I care. I’ve got a mountain of paperwork to fill out now because of your theatrics.” The only airbending master in existence turned away from Tobio without a backwards glance. “Don’t forget your parka.”

     Akiteru met them again in some sort of conference room dominated by a massive metal table. Tobio took up an awkward vigil by the door while Keishin signed his name at the bottom of a small stack of papers with such ferocity Tobio was sure the paper would tear. He himself was about to fray at the slightest friction. Not even a full day in Republic City and he’d already been insulted by street vendors, fought and defeated street criminals, been punched by a terrifying cultist, _and_ had gotten arrested. His uncharacteristic quietness seemed to have caught he attention of Keishin, judging by the way the yellow-clad man kept glancing up from the papers to make sure Tobio was still there. He had to look away from the intense stare lest he have an actual breakdown in the middle of a police station.

     After more signatures and a jovial chat with Akiteru, Keishin finally dragged Tobio into the early-afternoon bustle of Republic City. “So,” he began almost too quietly for Tobio’s ears to pick up on, “what the fuck? I was pretty sure we’d agreed last week you’d stay in the South Pole and wait to begin your airbending training. Care to explain why the hell I’m bailin’ you out of _jail_?”

     Tobio shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. On a deeper layer, he honestly did not feel like explaining himself just then. Maybe after a glass or two of polarcow milk and a nap he’d be ready to face to music. “I got in a fight with some thugs,” he muttered.

     “That’s where that came from?” Keishin gestured to the puffy blue-black mess that took up the right side of Tobio’s face.

     “No.” One uncomfortable pause later, they began walking back to the water, Keishin’s distinct robes parting the crowds like a knife through butter. Tobio’s impressive stature and stormcloud face aided the effort, and soon they arrived at a small boat on the shore near the park. “That was s-something else.” Tobio took a deep breath. “Who are the angry people in the park?”

     Keishin turned to face him head-on. “Huh? “

     “The ones handing out papers and screeching about how bending is the worst thing in the world?” Tobio knit his fingers together in agitation. He’d rather avoid going into detail about the encounter.

     A shadow fell across the man’s face. “You ran into a group of Equalists and got hurt?”

     Tobio cocked his head to the side. “Equalists? That’s what they’re called? Yeah, the ones ranting about how some guy named Amon is going to bring them justice or whatever.” He took in a long breath and looked out to the massive stone statue in the middle of the harbour. “Before the police got there to arrest me, I started yelling back at them and then one of them punched me,” he mumbled, cheeks flushing with the embarrassment of being bested in a punching match and having to admit to it aloud.

     Keishin raked a hand through his hair tiredly. “How many fights for you today? You’d better be careful, Avatar, or people are gonna get the wrong impression. You’re supposed to be promoting _peace_ and all that jazz. But really,” his voice too on a more serious tone after a short guffaw, “the Equalists aren’t as big a threat as they like to think they are. Yeah, it’s shit they’re unhappy with the way things are, but it’s not like nobody’s even tryin’ to make things fair for everyone in Republic City. You’re a waterbender, so you should have an idea or two about how tricky balance can be to come by, yanno?” Keishin laughed at the way Tobio staggered back at the playful punch he’d just landed on the Avatar’s shoulder.

     Tobio scowled. “Whatever. Are you sending me back to the South Pole?”

     Keishin rapped a knuckle on the side of the boat. “Ittetsu! Rise and shine!“ His own scowl took in the entirety of Tobio from bottom to top and then back again. “We’ll have to see, won’t we? I’ll have to consult with my grandmother and the other bending masters at the South Pole to see what they all think. Not gonna lie, it’s not ideal, you being here. I’ve got so much Council shit to worry about, not to mention keeping my nephew in line. _And_ there’s also Air Temple Island to keep orderly, so I’ll be frank with you. You’d be better off back home.”

     “NO!” Tobio shouted. He was as surprised as Keishin at the conviction in his voice; despite the rather rocky first hours, he wanted to stay in Republic City. Who wouldn’t? Heads to bust, authentic street-style bending, lots and lots and _lots_ of people to see. Okay, maybe he wasn’t so keen on meeting all the people, but there were bound to be some pretty impressive probenders he could pick up tips from and then absolutely annihilate in a one-on-three match. He was definitely not ready to go. “My stupid brother gets to stay, so why can’t I?”

     “Your brother’s not the Avatar, Tobio. There are different… security measures that need to be in place. _ITTETSU! WAKE UP!”_ Keishin kicked the boat this time, finally receiving a startled reply from within the boat.

      Tobio bristled at his words. “What? You think I can’t handle myself, is that it? You think I’m so valuable and fragile or whatever other bullshit makes you feel superior that I need _protecting_?” He stepped closer to Keishin until their noses almost brushed. “I’m not some fucking glass doll. I’ve mastered three of the goddamn elements, so I think I’m pretty damn qualified to take care of myself.”

     “I know that,” Keishin hissed. “There are exactly five airbenders _alive,_ Tobio, and three of them aren’t even in the city right now. I worry about my family every single fuckin’ day, but they wouldn’t be away unless I was absolutely sure they’d be able to stay safe. You think I don’t know when someone can’t take care of themselves? You’re not even supposed to _be here_. Now I’ve got a surprise visitor to worry about, which makes everything more stressful.”

     “If you’d just agreed to mentor me back home, there wouldn’t be a surprise visitor to worry about! Do you really want-“

     “Hey there, Tobio. Nice to see you again so soon!” Ittetsu interrupted Tobio’s retort. It was a lucky thing he chose to wake up from whatever midday nap he was enjoying while on the boat; his appearance prevented Tobio from saying things he’d immediately regret. The air acolyte blinked at the two men fighting in front of him sleepily, resting an arm over the railing.

     Tobio bowed stiffly. His glare followed Keishin as the older man climbed into the boat, grumbling about how it was _so soon indeed_ under his breath. Whatever. All Tobio had to do was win over Ittetsu and he would probably be able to stay on Air Temple Island for as long as he wanted.

     “Well, it’ll be a nice change not to have to row all the way back home,” Keishin ventured once Tobio had been helped onto the boat. Tobio cocked his head to the side, still scowling. He didn’t like the mischievous lilt to the airbender’s voice.

     “Um, what do you mean?”

     Keishin clapped a hand on Tobio’s back encouragingly. “Well, since you asked so politely, you can steer the boat for us because you’re such a capable waterbending master, huh? Get going, Avatar. I’m getting’ hungry.”

     Tobio groaned.

~~~

     He made a similar noise several hours later. An evening meal on Air Temple Island was nothing if not interesting. There were several more air acolytes lurking around that had joined them at the dining table, but it was clear Ittetsu was the favourite. He and Keishin spoke in hushed tones at the head of the table, occasionally glancing at Tobio or laughing at some private joke. Tobio had been seated at the designated kiddie end of the table alongside Keishin’s nephew.

     Yuuji was a year or so older than Tobio, but an outsider’s perspective would likely rule him as the younger of the two. He had launched into a long and tedious retelling of what was apparently every interesting event of his childhood, arms waving wildly at the intense parts and ruffling Tobio’s hair with stray air currents. Tobio nodded moodily into his soup whenever Yuuji paused for approval, mind in another dimension entirely. The Equalist’s feral sneer was still flashing millimetres in front of his eyes, time not lessening any of his fury. Tobio wanted to crawl into a dark hole and sleep for a week. If only the food wasn’t so damn tasty.

     “So, like, why did you come here even though you weren’t supposed to?” That was another thing about Yuuji. He was _nosy._ His tactlessness likely stemmed from the relative isolation he’d grown up in. Tobio could sympathize. Before moving into the training facility at the Southern Water Tribe, his only friend had been his brother. They’d never seen eye to eye on anything, so the majority of their interactions were either fighting or making passive aggressive comments during their long periods of not speaking to each other entirely.

     “Why wouldn’t I? I’m the Avatar, so I’ve got the right to learn all four elements as soon as possible to bring balance to the world,” Tobio replied flatly. “I don’t think it matters as long as I’m here now and ready to start learning tomorrow.”

     Yuuji smiled, the same irking grin his uncle had given Tobio earlier. “You’re pretty cocky for some sheltered village kid, y’know?”

     “I could say the same for you,” Tobio retorted. Yuuji laughed loudly enough to disrupt some of the more peaceful conversations.

     “You’re alright, kiddo. Say, wanna see something cool?” Yuuji grabbed Tobio’s wrist abruptly and dragged him away from his third helping of soup.

     “No, I don’t.”

     “Awesome! You’ve already been given the _official_ tour of the island, but have you gotten a chance to see the secret places yet? You can hear a lot of classified shit if you know the right places to hide.” They stopped outside of the dining room door. “What? I can’t hear you, Uncle!” Yuuji rolled his eyes. “Whatever. C’mon, before he finds us.”

 _“And it looks like the Inner City Owlcats will advance to the Round of Sixteen with that last hattrick against the Bullcranes and continue their perfect record of eight wins and no losses. Next, we bring you to the redemption match for what probending fans have come to know as the “Flightless Crows . This team is coming out of an early retirement after their absolutely crushing defeat two seasons ago, but is it too late to hope for any sort of a comeback? We’ll find out after these messages. Coming to you live from the Republic City Probending Arena, this is…”_ The announcer drifted off as an advertisement for automobiles was piped in too loud on the tiny speakers of the radio.

     Yuuji beckoned Tobio off their joint hiding perch on the roof and into a spare bedroom. His eyes were shining in excitement. “My uncle doesn’t let me listen to the radio. He says it’s too distracting when I’m supposed to be focusing on meditation and other boring airbender things. I’m seventeen! I’m supposed to be out there across the water, going to parties and having fun with all of my friends. Like, I get that I have to focus on stuff here so I can get my tattoos, but it all gets so _boring_. My uncle used to be a lot more fun, but that was years ago. Now all he ever does is council stuff and stresses about the rest of our family and how to stay safe. I don’t even see what the danger is! There’s no war anymore, so it’s like the only thing he’s tryin’ to keep me safe from is a normal life.”

     Tobio coughed awkwardly. He understood where Yuuji was coming from- he just wanted to be worth something too. He just hadn’t expected the sudden unburdening of Yuuji’s pent-up emotions all at once to him. The older boy had wilted considerably, clutching a pillow from the bed to his chest. Tobio sprung up abruptly.

     “I’m going over there.” He was suddenly quivering with the anticipation of his new great idea. “I wanna see what it’s like when people have no idea who I am so they can only judge me by how well I can bend. I won’t even need a team to win the tournament!” He hopped over to the window and down to the ground without a backward glance.

     "Tobio! Wait!” Yuuji hissed. He drifted to the cobblestones in a _whoosh_ , scattering stray clippings from a bush into the grass. “You can’t just go to the Arena!”

     “Why not?” Tobio whispered, “That’s the perfect way for me to learn more modern bending styles.” He strode purposefully towards the water, ignoring the moored boats at the dock. It’d be quicker just to waterbend his way to the arena.

     “My uncle won’t let you go,” Yuuji said.

     Tobio shrugged. “I’m not going to say anything. Just tell him I was feeling tired and went to bed early. It’s just the guards listenin’ to the radio, so he won’t even know I’m there.”

     "No fair!” Yuuji whined. “I wanna go too, but it’s not like I could compete anyways.” He quieted for a moment, thinking hard about something. “Fine. I’ll cover for you, but just this once. And on two conditions. One: I want these autographs.’ Yuuji listed five or six of the better-known probenders by name and team. “And I want you to win whatever match you participate in.”

     “Got it.” Tobio’s head snapped up and down once in a sharp nod. He would do his best.

~~~

     For being such a prestigious function, the security was surprisingly lax. Tobio was able to create a water spiral up to an open window overlooking the harbour and plop right in to an empty hallway. Both directions were lit, with humanoid shapes casting fluttering shadows onto the pressed wood of the hallway. He picked the one to the left at random, bending the water out of his clothes with a flick of his wrist. It was good to make a positive first impression, since Tobio was well aware of his lack of people skills, not that he’d ever admit it.

     Tobio was nearly bowelled over by someone rushing out of the room. “Hey! There are other people walking here, you know!” He shouted at the person’s retreating back.

     Tobio brushed himself off and settled his face into what was hopefully a polite expression. It was hard to tell. He probably just had his usual angry default frown on, which wasn’t great for getting people to like him. His brother used to say it looked like he sucked eelsquid for a living because his face was always so pinched.

     “Come back! It’s not your fault we lost against these guys last time! We _need_ you!” Yet another person pushed Tobio and into the hallway. This one was clad in what Tobio assumed to be probending gear, complete with helmet and red sash around his waist. When the person who’d stormed out before neglected to reappear, the probender tossed his helmet on the floor in frustration. The wild orange hair that popped out was even brighter than the red accents designating him as the team’s firebender.

     “Oh. Are you here to tell us we can’t compete without a waterbender?’ The orangehead looked to be holding back tears, but Tobio couldn’t be sure from his vantage point a full head above the other boy.

     “Um, no…” Tobio trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Should he try to comfort the guy and make him feel better? Maybe it’d be better just to get straight to the point of his visit.

     “Stop with that creepy smile,” the little guy commanded with surprisingly authority. Tobio let the hopeful upward quirk of his lips fall flat. Okay, so maybe he had some work to do on the whole compassion thing. “Um, do you want something from us?”

     Tobio shrugged. “I really wanna learn a modern style of bending, like probending. I’ve been stuck with all the old techniques that only old people bother with.”

     The shortie coughed once, perking up suddenly like whatever he was about to say negated the fact that his teammate literally just walked out on him before a match. “So, like, you want me to teach you?” He gave a little excited bounce and contuniued before Tobio could get a word in edgewise. “Cool! Um, not sure if you noticed, but…” He held an open palm out to Tobio, a small orange flame that was just a little too orange and bright like its creator tickling the bottom of Tobio’s nose. “I’m a firebender, so… um, I don’t know how well that’ll translate to your _waterbending_ , y’know?”

     Tobio jumped back, waving a hand in front of his face. “Oi, watch it! I’m a firebender too, you idiot!” Sheesh, this guy was irritating. He seemed nearly as oblivious as Tobio did when it came to teaching, because waving fire in a student’s face was a one-way ticket to the door. Tobio knew that firsthand; he’d been forced to instruct a firebending class to rich Fire Nation children that vacationed with their families at the Southern Water Tribe. The kid was okay, of course, but Tobio had lost a few fans that day.

     “Aha, sorry! I just assumed from your Water Tribe getup that you were a waterbender.” The firebender rubbed the back of his neck, laughing in a way that reminded Tobio of sealgoose distress calls.

     Tobio frowned at the forced laughter. “I’m actually a waterbender,” he announced flatly.

     “Well-“

     “An earthbender, too.” Tobio looked away. His hands knotted themselves into a tangle before clenching at his sides. He kicked the ground softly, waiting for some sort of response from the suddenly mute shortie. Was this how people who _didn’t_ know who he was before they met him react?

     A squeak came from somewhere behind the ricepaper room divider behind the shortie. Something small, maybe a kangaroo-mouse? Tobio hoped the arena didn’t have some sort of infestation.

     The kangaroo-mouse shuffled around before it _spoke_. “Oh. You’re the Avatar.”

     Tobio risked a glance upward just in time to see the ginger boy’s expression change from one of profound confusion to understanding. “Really?” he squeaked. Yep. Definitely an infestation.

     “Uh, yeah?”

     Whole galaxies formed in the shortie’s wide eyes as his mouth widened into a perfect circle. He just stared at Tobio. Tobio glared back. “So what?” he folded his arms, preparing to go on the defensive if the firebender’s face didn’t change soon.

     “Gwaa! That’s like, the coolest! So you can go like _bwaa_ and _poof_ AND _guahh_?” He shook himself out of whatever trance he’d been stuck in, hopping around the small space and gesturing wildly in rather… unique attempts at earth- and waterbending.

     Tobio nodded slowly.

     “H-Hitoka! Come out here and meet him!” Shortie shouted, diving behind the room divider and dragging out his remaining teammate. The tiny blond girl was somehow even shorter than the redhead, and at least ten times as skittish. Tobio could see her shaking from the corner of the room he’d retreated to. Surely this delicate little thing couldn’t be the team’s _earthbender_? No way; Tobio was convinced a stiff breeze would knock her over, no need to graduate to rough-and-tumble probenders.

     “It’s an h-honour,” Hitoka whispered. She bowed stiffly, dragging her teammate with her.

     “You really don’t have to do that,” Tobio muttered. He wasn’t too sure about the sudden hero-worship. Besides, he was the one who was supposed to be learning from _them_. That wouldn’t work if every time his teachers looked at him their eyes were shining with excitement and awe.

     “Right, right, sorry,” the ginger kid said, ”I’m Shouyou, by the way.” He beamed. “Great to meet you!” A second later, he spoke again, voice a hushed whisper. “Do you wanna join our team?”

     Tobio’s breath hitched in his throat. _This_ was something he knew he wanted more than almost anything, so there was not even a ghost of hesitation in his answer.

     “Yes.”

 


	2. Party Rockin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... So life has been super busy lately, as much as I'd rather put off responsibility I know that this has taken a bit of a backburner. This chapter is almost a thousand words longer than the first- hopefully that helps for the lovely readers who talked to me two weeks ago. Y'all are the best!!! I literally teared up reading the comments, so thank you so much again *v* With any luck, I should have the third chapter done by the end of the month- my schedule looks a little less busy next week. Enjoy~

It took less than a second for the other team’s waterbender to end up in the drink. The firebender followed a moment later, flung off the side of the platform by a tidal wave that nearly took Shouyou’s head with it. Surprise turned quickly to annoyance as he realized what his new teammate was trying to do.

“What the hell are you _doing_?” Shouyou whirled on the tall boy to his left, scrunching his nose angrily. The earthbender plopped into the water almost apologetically. “You’ll get kicked out if you do that!”

The referee blew his whistle. “Illegal move, Sparrowmonkey waterbender. We will restart the match,” he announced.

Tobio quickly found the decency to stop shouting his excitement at ‘winning’ the round and bristled. “What the fuck? I just scored a hattrick, and you’re giving _them_ the round?”

“You have to knock them out at the back of the platform, idiot! Don’t you know anything?” Shouyou shouted before Tobio could say anything truly offensive to the ref and get them all in serious trouble. His future more or less counted on winning the tournament. It wouldn’t be easy, of course not. His team was the rookie dark horse of the probending circuit and up against some seriously awesome benders. “Sheesh. Just stay out of our way and try not to get knocked back, ‘kay?”

Tobio fixed him with a burning scowl but turned away a moment later. What was his problem, anyways? Shouyou couldn’t understand how someone who had the world in his hands could be so bitter all the time. Maybe the massive bruise on the side of his face hurt? That had to be it. Nobody could walk around with what looked like a purple and blue rendition of the Fire Nation on their cheek and be happy about it. Shouyou hoped he'd loosen up if they were to be training together.

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “I know what I’m doing.”

Shouyou exchanged a quick look with Hitoka. His tiny earthbending friend shrugged in response to his silent communication. She looked more scared than frustrated with Tobio, which Shouyou could understand. He didn’t want to admit just how intimidating the taller boy could be.

Their opponents apparently had the same idea. None of them seemed willing to go near the part of the ring where Tobio stood, flexing his fingers in front of his face like they belonged to a different person. Okay, so the Avatar was a weirdo. Admittedly, Republic City had a few oddballs around but they usually stayed out of the Arena and kept to their street corners and abandoned warehouses.

Shouyou drew in a steadying breath, closing his eyes and clenching his fists repeatedly. After a few small hops, his chest didn’t feel quite as tight as before. They could totally destroy their much older, more experienced opponents. Pfft. It’d be no problem, almost easy, if he thought about it.

No.

Shouyou slapped his cheeks lightly, snapping himself out of a dangerous train of thought. He couldn’t do any heavy thinking about winning, or even how he’d do during the match before it began- it was a surefire way he’d wind himself up as much as Hitoka and then they’d be almost _sure_ to lose. As it stood, Hitoka looked about ready to shiver her way into the water before she’d even gotten a hit in. She really was a fantastic teammate when she got into the thick of things. They worked so well together, Hitoka quietly wiping out their adversaries while Shouyou distracted them from above with flashy moves mid-air. His mom liked to joke he was more of an airbender than firebender with the way he moved and bent. But hey, if it helped him win, he’d take it. And there was no way they would lose tonight.

“We’ll go for the usual, right? I’ll focus their attention and you do those fancy sneaky moves,” Shouyou muttered behind his hand. “And we’re gonna win!”

Hitoka nodded sharply. “R-right!”

“Let’s do this!” Shouyou grinned back.

~~~

It became immediately clear their opponents had studied Shouyou and Hitoka’s preferred strategy before the match. The firebender drew their attention with powerful blasts that Shouyou was forced to deflect around both him and Hitoka rather than start off on the offensive. A stream of water knocked them together from the side the moment there was an opening. Shouyou rolled out of the way of the sudden appearance of Tobio’s long legs over his head. He seemed to be quickly losing against the other team’s earthbender. Tobio’s blocks and counters looked sloppy as he grew more and more frustrated with the relentless onslaught of stone disks coming at him.

“Fuck it,” Tobio cursed after a hit to the stomach. He blocked the next attack with an outstretched palm, pushing the disk directly back to its sender. Shouyou sprung back to his feet, moving to deflect the firebender’s next barrage on Tobio. His fingers reached for that familiar warm light, only to find that it had slipped through his fingers while Tobio redirected the flames to the side, unaided.

The other team’s attacks ceased while the stadium held in a collective breath. “Uh… Penalty! I think?” The referee blew his whistle on account of Tobio’s misconduct for the second time that night. Even Shouyou’s movements ground to a halt. It was… unsettling to see one person control three elements at all, let alone in such quick succession. That certainly eliminated any doubt Shouyou might’ve had about the tall boy. He was definitely who he said he was.

He was also an idiot. “Hey, stupid Tobio! That’s probably cheating!” An intrusive thought pushed its way onto his tongue. “What, you don’t think you need a team to win? Huh? We don’t matter to you?”

Tobio’s brow creased even further over his eyes. God, did he not understanding _anything_ about winning? It wasn’t something people could do alone. “Um,” he began with caution, finally picking up on what Shouyou was trying to get through to him, “As long as we win, maybe… it doesn’t matter? If I can bend all of the three elements I probably don’t even need a team.”

Scratch that. He was the most oblivious moron Shouyou had ever had the misfortune of meeting. “Piss off. You can find a new teacher after this match,” Shouyou ground out, voice low. The bright prickle of anger in his chest was not a feeling he’d known too often in his life, but this was worse than the time his cousin torched Shouyou’s beach volleyball net after a disagreement over a single point. Not too many things except for the needless attack of things he had pride in could genuinely piss him off.

“Wait, I-“ Tobio reached a hand out, alarming flaring his stupid bruised eye wide open.

The sudden intrusion of the whistle interrupted whatever crappy apology he had to offer. “The Avatar will be allowed to continue,” the ref announced, “so long as he bends only water.” The audience roared its mixed message of approval and anger. He hadn’t even noticed the way their whispers grew into actual distress at Tobio’s identity. The knowledge that they’d be allowed to continue the match did little to quell the turmoil in Shouyou’s heart. How often did a ready-made waterbender appear minutes before a match when their team desperately needed a replacement? Granted, this waterbender was also a serious contender for Asshole of the Year, but there was no denying the wealth of potential he possessed.

But Shouyou could never admit defeat like that. “Decided to come down off your pedestal and play with the rest of us poor savages in the dirt, huh?” He turned away before getting a chance to see Tobio’s reaction to his words. He didn’t care, right? As long as he and Hitoka could pull off this critical win it didn’t matter what some overprivileged Avatar thought of him.

Shouyou squared his shoulders yet again, settling into his preferred attack stance moments before the match began. It was much easier to see the attacks directed at him with the extra fire in his heart. The pounding blood in Shouyou’s ears drew him in to the rhythmic parrying of the match, the familiar movements luring him into some sort of half-trance even as he was knocked back into Zone Two. He was vaguely aware of the announcer’s voice narrating their movements while the other team advanced. Neither he nor Hitoka had been able to knock anyone back while on an equal playing field, so it was officially crunch time.

Well, it would’ve been. “And it looks like the Avatar has stumbled into his earthbending companion and they’re both down! Can they make it back- oh, no. They’ve been knocked into Zone Three by the Crowhawk’s Daichi! Looks like it was too much for the rookies as Hitoka lands in the drink. She’ll be back for Round Two, folks. That is if this new fire-and-water duo is able to hold on long enough to avoid a knockout, of course. It’s all resting on Shouyou’s shoulders now as he tries to keep from getting pushed back even further.”

_Damn. These guys are better than I was expecting._ Shouyou dodged their onslaught as best he could, all the while sending back a little fire during any lull he could manage.

That familiar weightlessness engulfed him as he jumped. Like every opponent he’d faced, the trio’s mouths were opened wide enough to catch sizeable insects. He used the momentary lapse in concentration to bend the biggest fire wheel he’d ever made in a sweeping path across the ring. He was beginning to suspect their waterbender was the brains behind the operation, because he was the only one to jump back and avoid falling over after his power-packed attack.

He was also the only one with the presence of mind to attack during the brief moment Shouyou needed to regain his footing after coming down.

“And it looks like Round One goes to the Half Moon Health Spa Crowhawks! These guys have already secured a place in the championship tournament with their seven-and-oh streak, whereas for these rookies, this could very well be their last match of the season. They’ve lost twice this season, once during the opener against the Owlcats and again last week to the Platypus-bears, so this is their last-pitch effort to secure a chance at probending glory. But is there just too much standing in the way of these sixteen-year-olds, even with the help of the Avatar? We’ll find out in a moment.” The announcer’s doubt was beginning to grate on Shouyou’s remaining nerve. He was normally one to welcome the challenge of a stronger team with the odds stacked against his favour, but he was ready for the night to be over. He was certainly feeling a lot calmer after Tobio decided to shut up, even if he had cost Hitoka her rightful place on the platform. She had much more skill, not to mention a better reason for being there, than the stupid Avatar.

Shouyou shook the water off his protective gear and gave a dripping wet Hitoka his signature encouraging grin. “Don’t let the idiot get to you. I fired him after the match.”

“Oh. Okay.” She sounded disappointed. “I’ll do my best to win without him next time!”

Shouyou blinked in confusion. “Wait, what? You want him to stay?”

Hitoka held up her hands immediately in surrender, eyes wide. “It’s just…How do I say this without making him mad at me? Um, well, you’ve seen him bend. It’s just sort of… old fashioned, I guess? I kinda feel bad if he stays like that. Oh, he could get hurt if he’s not prepared! And how could I ever live with myself if I was responsible for the Avatar’s death because I refused to help him when he needed it?” Her voice took on a more frantic edge, just teetering on the panic Shouyou knew she was able to overthink herself into feeling.

“Fine.” He ran a gloved hand over his face. “He can stay. But _only_ until you’ve taught him all the stuff you learnt over the past two years. And then he can go back to the Spirit World and look for the ghost of his brain.”

“Hey!”

Shouyou rolled his eyes at Tobio’s indignant protest. Of course he was listening. Which meant he knew. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“Regret what?” Tobio asked just as the bell went off to begin the second round.

It might’ve been due to Hitoka’s way of keeping Shouyou in check, but they managed to get their sneaky combo in one flawless time before things began to head south _yet again_. How much more suspense could they fit into one match?

They’d managed to end up pushed together in the very corner of Zone One, the safety rope on the side of the ring pressing into his back. Hitoka was doing a wonderful job of absorbing the opponents’ attacks with the clay disks while Shouyou snuck in quick hits in a loose interpretation of their more familiar strategy. Tobio was left to the other side of the Zone, deflecting the barrage of fire and occasional earth coming at him relentlessly.

“Fall back and swing around the side?” Hitoka whispered. She couldn’t keep up the defense forever, Shouyou knew. Still, if they had some sort of alternative to giving up territory…

“Wait for them to get tired,” Shouyou reasoned.

“Okay,” Hitoka responded after a moment’s consideration. “But leave the waterbender to me and you can deal with their firebender. And then save the earthbender for last.”

Shouyou nodded. “Right.” He squashed down the lump confusion he felt as a result of Hitoka’s plan. Why not get even the earthbender out first if he had to pick one to go after? Still, he had to trust Hitoka’s plan, even if his first instinct was to get rid of the crafty waterbender. She was a _lot_ smarter at planning for the long run; that was why she unofficially managed the team. Shouyou was better at the in-the-heat-of-the-moment stuff during their matches.

And Tobio… well, he was consistent at losing.

“The Avatar’s been pushed yet again to the back of Zone Three, literally teetering on the edge of the most dismal debut in recent probending history.”

What a shitty teammate. Shouyou was not about to lose because of him. All he wanted was to stay in the ring for one more round. At that same moment, he felt something shift in the attacks. Yep. The latest water whip didn’t push him back at all.

“Now!” Shouyou sprung forward, bending reams of fire from both fists at once at the fire- and earthbender. He heard one of them curse. Hitoka joined in with a surprisingly snappy one-two that sent the waterbender back to his own Zone Two. Shouyou finished him off with little struggle. A loud squeak came from the soles of his shoes when he skipped out of the way of a side water-whip. To his utmost surprise, it wasn’t his attack but a streamline tendril of something blueish that took out the waterbender. Water. Shouyou let out a small cheer. They were totally going to win!

He glanced at Hitoka and nodded, eyes flicking back to the lone firebender on the other side of the centreline. It might’ve been risky in hindsight to turn his back on the earthbender if he had any other partner than Hitoka. She would cover his six no matter what. They were able to work perfectly in tandem to corner the remaining two Crowhawks to the far edges of their respective zones and pin each of them there.

_I bet this looks like payback to everyone watching_ , Shouyou thought. That wasn’t his goal; they just wanted to keep their opponents from grouping together protectively like Hitoka and Shouyou had done. _Not today!_ Shouyou’s grin widened. It was super fun to blast his opposition back all three Zones and into the water in one fell swoop. His attacks were just barely being deflected by the other firebender, now exhausted from his relentless push to get Tobio out.

Speaking of Tobio…

Shouyou risked a glance backward again.

“Wow.”

He couldn’t help but marvel at the way the Avatar was able to dodge the few rogue attacks still coming his way. It was like someone had pulled the moody boy out of the ring and replaced him with someone… regal? That had to be the best way to describe what Shouyou was witnessing. Rather than absorbing the assaults directly and having his position suffer for it, Tobio seemed to be avoiding each piece of earth and breath of fire coming at him. He was noticeably calmer too, arms held in a defensive yet relaxed manner in front and feet as light as air. Air. That’s what he had to be doing- airbending. Or at least something that looked like it, since Shouyou had been able to deduce from their earlier conversation that Tobio still had a final element to master. The announcer was making a big deal out of it as well, nearly bouncing out of his seat.

_Oomph!_ Shouyou tumbled backwards, sucking air desperately. The firebender had finally picked up on his lapse in concentration. He couldn’t even hear the announcer praising Tobio’s sudden change in tactics over the sound of his own wheezing. He could, however, notice the way the firebender was gearing up for a massive diagonal cut of fire. Shouyou squirmed and twisted to make himself an even smaller target. Maybe he’d miss?

Shouyou closed his eyes. His feet couldn’t seem to find adequate purchase on the slippery section of the ring he’d fallen into. No wonder, since he was laying on top of one of the waterbending grates. It was certainly a hindrance more than anything.

He felt, rather than saw, a wall of heat and light coming towards him. Last chance. Shouyou gulped in a breath and sprung up with a strong blast of fire from his feet. His signature move, and it felt so incredibly _right_ to be at a higher point than his adversary.

A massive cheer erupted from the spectators suddenly. “Amazing!” the announcer shouted, “We may have ruled the Avatar out too soon, folks. He’s taken out yet another of the Crowhawks from all the way back in Zone Three. But it looks like the playing field might be getting even more unbalanced now that the _sparky_ little Shouyou is back on his feet.”

Shouyou groaned at the ill-timed joke while the crowd gave a distinctive chuckle. Traitors.

“And here we- Oh! In an astonishing one-two hit executed solely by the Avatar, the Crowhawk’s Asahi is blown back to Zone Three. Is it possible… yes, here we go. The Avatar’s going in for the kill, launching himself into the final blow entirely!”

Shouyou caught a little mist from the combo attack before realizing he too was in danger of getting hit. He risked a glance over his shoulder, breath hitching when he realized the massive wall of water headed directly at him was not going to be changing course.

“I-I can’t believe it! It’s a hattrick, folks, by none other than your very own Avatar! This win has just earned these rookies a spot in the championship tournament! Absolutely amazing,” the announcer shouted to be heard over the swell of the entire arena. But he was glowing with the victory as well.

Shouyou was still panting from his last evasive manoeuver, but his smile had never been larger in his entire life. “HITOKA! We won! Omigod, we actually _won_.” He punched the air in victory, accidentally shooting fire into the air above his head. At that particular moment, he didn’t care.

Hitoka nearly flattened him in a massive hug for one so small. “H-how did we do it? I thought w-we were gonna lose, but then…” she laughed, eyes shining with happiness, and maybe a tear or two. Shouyou gripped her tightly back. They’d done the impossible, and most importantly, they’d done it together in their own private _fuck you_ to their past lives.

She coughed several moments later, pulling out of the embrace. “Um? There’s also Tobio to thank,” she mumbled. They both looked to the third member of their team.

He was hovering off to the side uncertainly. His hands kept twitching like there was something important he wanted to do or say.

Shouyou blinked. “Tobio?” Tobio’s head snapped up. “Um,” he continued shyly, “Jus’ wanted to say that, uh,” he coughed. Tobio deserved the win too. “That. Was. AWESOME! You totally killed it towards the end there! You were all like _whoosh_ and _fwaa_ and you absolutely showed them who’s boss.” He stopped with his inaccurate rendition of waterbending and grew more serious. “We wouldn’t have won without you. So… thanks, I guess. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much the win means to both Hitoka and me.” He’d start crying if he kept talking like this.

“Really though, thank you.” Shouyou marched up to his taller teammate and threw his arms around Tobio’s midsection. “Do you wanna stay with us?”

Tobio made a choking noise at the question. If Shouyou were to think about it later, he’d realize that Tobio’s lungs were probably being crushed under his equipment and the hug. “Ack, okay. Please let go.” Shouyou stepped back. He brushed the sudden redness on the Avatar’s ears and cheeks off as the rush of victory and nothing more. No way a hug could make someone blush like a cherry tomato.

~~~

The dressing room was occupied when they finally returned to it. Luckily, Tobio had been the first to enter, since the guest was clearly there to visit him. Shouyou squeaked and pulled Hitoka with him onto the hidden part of the platform that looked out onto the main dome of the arena. He hadn’t caught much more of the guest than a pissed off expression and a lot of yellow robes.

“Well,” he- because it was definitely a he- began, “I’m going to say it again. What the actual fuck, Tobio? What the fuck were you thinking, sneakin’ out like this without telling _anyone_ where you were going? I’ve had the entire White Lotus force turning the entire damn island upside down lookin’ for ya. Yuuji said you’d gone to bed so I got Makoto to bring you some tea in case you were homesick or somethin’. But no, I hear on the fucking _radio_ instead that the Avatar is suddenly a probendin’ hotshot.” The man paused for breath. Shouyou’s neck prickled with the intensity of the glare Tobio must’ve been treated to on the other side of the wall.

“But we won.” Tobio mumbled a tense second later. Despite knowing him for less than an hour, Shoyou was pretty sure he could guess exactly the sort of face his teammate was making. Teammate. That was what Tobio was now, huh? It did have a ring to it that made warmth bloom in Shouyou’s chest. “And Yuuji said he’d cover for me, so it’s his fault anyways,” Tobio continued with a pout.

“It’s his fault my ass. You should know better than this. But I will admit,” the guy’s voice changed,” I did watch the end of the match. It was… impressive to see. It’s my firm belief that you need a nice n’ quiet environment to be able to properly learn airbending, but the way you behaved out there may have almost convinced me otherwise. You moved like a real airbender, Tobio. I’m very impressed.” He coughed. “If you want, you can keep probendin’ on the condition that your focus here is airbending.”

Tobio cleared his throat so forcefully he started to cough. “Yes, I do,” he croaked. “I love it.”

There was a sound like a hand slapping a shoulder. “Good. And from what I understand, y’all’ve got a championship to win. Airbending comes first, remember that, but you can compete. It’ll keep you outta my way too, but you’ve gotta include Yuuji when you hang out with your friends, ‘kay?”

Tobio coughed again. “Yessir. I’ll do my best!”

“Don’t push it, Avatar. None of that ‘sir’ shit; I’m not that old. Remember that I can still send you home whenever I feel like it. I’ll be waitin’ for you outside, so don’t think ya can skip out on me and stay here all night.” The man tried to sound stern as he turned to leave, which ended up being an impossible feat over his chuckling. “It’s safe for you two to come in now- I promise I’m leaving.”

Shouyou jumped guiltily. He should’ve known, really, that the man would know they were eavesdropping on Tobio’s scolding. “I-I didn’t mean to listen in, I promise!” He popped his head through the open door, but the yellow-robed guy was gone. “Oh. Was that your guardian here?” he asked Tobio.

Tobio tossed his helmet to the ground and flopped onto one of the benches in the middle of the room. He set to untying his leg armour before responding. “That’s Keishin, yeah. He thinks he’s the shit just ‘cause he’s gonna teach me airbending and he’s a direct descendent of the last Avatar.”

Shouyou plopped down beside him and started on his own armour. He started with his top padding like Hitoka and every other person in the circuit did. Tobio was the weirdest person he’d ever met. “So… that means you’re like his grandpa or something, right?”

Hitoka snorted from over his shoulder, quickly turning it into a cough to cover because Tobio’s face screwed up like a shrivelled prune at the question. Shouyou couldn’t bite back a grin either. He was just joking, of course, trying to get Tobio to relax a bit. His shoulders were still locked tightly around his ears and his fingers shook despite their win. Maybe he felt bad over the way Shouyou talked to him earlier?

“Relax. I’m just kidding, y’know. You’re a different person than the last one even if you _do_ share the same spirit or whatever. And there’s no way the other Avatars could’ve pulled off such an awesome hattrick like you did.” He grinned, knocking shoulders with Tobio. It might’ve been a trick of the light, but the other boy looked on the verge of smiling. _That_ made Shouyou almost as happy as winning.

“My past lives could actually airbend, though,” Tobio protested halfheartedly. He was probably arguing just for the sake of arguing.

Shouyou clapped him on the back before standing. “You’ll get it eventually. Just practice hard and do what your teacher tells you too.” _It really is as simple as that, idiot_ , Shouyou thought as he tossed his gear into his locker and slammed it shut. Hitoka followed suit a moment later.

“Dumbass,” Tobio might’ve muttered, but Shouyou’s attention was taken over by the door swinging open unexpectedly.

“Knock, knock,” a deep voice said. A tall man a few years older than them slid into the room. He hovered around the same height as Tobio, who jumped up when he nudged the bench with his foot. “How’re everyone’s favourite rookies? Nice kill there, by the way. How’s Republic City treatin’ ya?’ He stretched languidly, lazy golden eyes sizing up the three. If he was trying to be intimidating, it sure was working. Hitoka had fallen back to her safe spot behind the room divider yet again. Tobio’s eyes met Shouyou’s in a way that made it clear he was _not_ scared by the intruder.

“Um, sorry, but who are you?” Shouyou asked. He smirked triumphantly at Tobio for having beat him to the plate. Why shouldn’t he make sure the Avatar knew he was just as impressive as him?

The guy chuckled. He had dark hair that poked up in pretty much every direction possible with a lock of it covering one of his eyes. Definitely bedhead. Granted, it was the most intimidating bedhead Shouyou had ever witnessed, because it made its owner look wild rather than sleepy.

“Right, right. I’m Tetsurou Kuroo of the Inner City Owlcats. We beat you guys a while back, if I remember correctly. Just call me Kuroo. No, Shrimpy, I’m not here to issue a challenge of any sort.” He must’ve noticed the way Shouyou had opened his mouth to defend his team. “I’d just like to invite y’all to a party.”

“A party?” Shouyou echoed. Why would Kuroo, who, if the rumours were true, was part of a _street gang_ , want to invite a trio of sixteen-year-olds to a party? “Why?” If Hitoka was a voice in his ear she’d try to find any ulterior motives Kuroo might have.

“Easy, Shrimpy. It’s just a little get-together between friends to celebrate makin’ it to the championships. Which you’re in, by the way, since Mr. Avatar managed to pull out some sick moves just now. Y’all’re welcome to bring a plus one if you’d like too. The more the merrier, right?” Kuroo smiled so widely Shouyou could see his pointy teeth. That must’ve been where the ‘cat’ part of their name came from.

Shouyou crossed his arms. “When is it?” he asked, trying not to sound too interested just in case Hitoka decided it wasn’t safe.

“Two nights from now. It’ll be held _here_ starting at sunset until whenever we get so pissed we all pass out.” Kuroo pressed a small white card into Tobio’s chest, since he had the possible misfortune of standing the closest. Tobio glanced at the paper and back to Kuroo dubiously.

“I have no idea where this is,” he announced blandly.

Kuroo laughed quietly and patted Tobio’s shoulder. “It’s called an address, sweetie. You find the name of the street first. That’s this name here,” he pointed to the paper, “And then you find this number here. It’ll be on a building.” He drew each word out in a light, singsongy voice, speaking to Tobio as if he was a baby. Shouyou giggled at the red tinge to Tobio’s head. “If you don’t know what a building is, then, well, we’re all just a little bit more fucked than we give ourselves credit for. We might as well have a brick for an Avatar for all the good you’d do.”

Tobio’s hand flashed out to catch Kuroo on the arm before he could make it to the door. “The _fuck_ did you just say?”

The guy must’ve been the most ballsy person in Republic City with the way he laughed off Tobio’s murder glare and growled quip. “I’m just kidding, Avatar. Damn, you are so _easy_ to mess with!” He waved quickly before opening the door. “But please come to the party, and I’ll see if my guys can help you out with the entrance fee. Bye-bye!”

~~~

The diner was packed mere minutes after the sun dipped below the horizon. It was far too loud, even without the mysteriously procured quad of radios nestled in the corners of the room. Some sad, lonely man crooned about his lost love under the cacophony of voices that were all fighting to be heard over the others.

There were so many people as well, unknowing participants in the dance of switching conversation circles and trying not to accidentally punch anyone while telling a story. It would’ve been interesting to be a part of if only… no, there was absolutely nothing that would make this gathering bearable short of turning off the music and sending everyone home. Like _that_ would ever happen. Kuroo had put an almost embarrassing amount of thought into the whole affair; he’d even payed the owner of the diner a few thousand _yuan_ to keep the place closed for the night. He didn’t want to know just how much Kuroo had had to bribe the stern old man, but this was undoubtedly one of the nicest eateries in the city. It was a stupid move on Kuroo’s part, since all anyone was doing was knocking back hard drinks and yelling. At the same time, this was Kuroo he had to consider, and knowing him as well as he did, there was probably some sneaky reasoning behind the extravagant venue.

“Kenma?” His head popped up at the mention of his name. but who…? Oh. Interesting. “Oh, it _is_ you! Thank the spirits, I was startin’ to think everyone here was a stranger.” A short, orange-topped body wove its way out of the crowd and to his protective corner booth.

“Ah, Shouyou… It’s… nice to see you,” Kenma replied, thanking all the stars in the sky he wouldn’t have to talk to anyone offensive for a little while at least.”

Shouyou took a seat on the padded bench beside Kenma, leaving a respectable butt-width between them. He really was okay, as far as strangers went.

“This is my first time at a party like this, with alcohol and everything, y’know? I won’t have any though because this one time my aunt came to visit and she brought this really strong stuff from the Capital that I snuck a few sips from after everyone went to bed because I thought they couldn’t tell, right?” Shouyou glanced at Kenma to make sure he was still following. Kenma gave a small nod, grateful to not have to worry about contributing to the story. “Anyways, I almost fell up the stairs afterwards because I thought they were moving but I still managed to put my hands out in time to stop from crashing. And then I threw up! All over the rug on the stairs and my slippers and my mom was super mad but all my aunt did was laugh because she was so surprised I had even _made it_ to the stairs. So yeah, that’s why I don’t drink,” he trailed off with a sigh.

Kenma drew his knees up and rested his chin on them. He was already tired enough to drop. Kuroo had asked him to stay at least until the toast was over so he could be a good host. It had better be happening soon or Kenma would strangle him in revenge. He picked at a thread on his pants for a few minutes before coming back to the real world. Shit. Shouyou was looking at him expectantly again with those big sparkling brown eyes. He must’ve said something, but what?

“Some of the people here are scary, huh?”

“Oh.” Kenma nodded. “Yeah. And loud.”

Shouyou grinned, likely happy at earning an actual verbal response from Kenma. It was much more difficult for him to work up the ability to speak here than when they’d first met by chance a few mornings before in the training room. Still, Shouyou didn’t seem put off by the one-sidedness of the conversation. Kenma considered the idea of Shouyou having been around when they were kids. Maybe some things would’ve ended differently. Better, even.

“Yep! The first people I met tonight were Yuu and Ryuu, like, the loudest ones here. But I’ve gotten to introduce myself to pretty much everyone, so that’s good! I’ve lived in Republic City for long enough that I should know more people, but it’s hard to make friends when I have to work all day to pay rent and buy food. But how about you, huh? Did you come here as someone’s date, or are you part of a team?”

Kenma considered the question carefully, preparing to bolt in case Shouyou didn’t like his answer. It was difficult to tell exactly how friendly of a mask an asshole could hide behind. “Both, I guess. Like my teammates are Bokuto over there,” he gestured to where the well-built man was holding court over a group of curious onlookers, controlling a little scene of lumpy rock people in an inaccurate recounting of a story Kenma was all too familiar with, “and Kuroo. We’re sort of… together?” The man in question was carrying on two conversations at once before flitting over to the door to welcome more guests inside. In typical Kuroo fashion, he seemed to sense when he was being talked about and looked away from the newcomers to wave at Shouyou and Kenma.

“Wait… Kuroo…” Shouyou’s eyes narrowed in concentration before popping open in astonishment. “You’re a member of the _Owlcats_? You and Kuroo must work really well together then if you’re so close… lucky! But does that mean you’re part of, like, a gang then? That’s why he uses last names ‘n stuff, right?” Shouyou’s voice had dropped to a conspiratorial whisper sometime during the latter half of his questions.

Kenma shrugged. “If you want to call it that. We all just happened to grow up in the area around the downtown warehouses and grouped together. Your team?” He was eager to get the attention focused back on Shouyou, who was more than willing to oblige.

“There’s me, of course, and Hitoka. She came here with me since we share an apartment on one of the top floors of the arena, but she’s from the South. Apparently her mom shipped her off to Omashu to go to that super elite earthbending school run by the Akaashi family. She says they’re super mean to anyone who isn’t an earthbender, so I’m glad I’ve never been there. And then my family runs a resort on Ember Island.” Shouyou took a moment to catch his breath and allow Kenma to absorb some of the information. “But I wanted to come here instead and become the best probender ever. So we’re both runaways, I guess. And then there’s Tobio. I met him like three days ago but if you listen to the radio or read the newspaper you’ll know he’s the Avatar. He’s actually a huge idiot, so it’s not as impressive as it sounds having him on my team,” Shouyou giggled. Kenma had to crack a smile at his forthrightedness.

“He’s by the door with that blondish guy. I think that’s the airbending kid, but don’t call Tobio his grandpa or something because his face turns purple and he makes weird choking noises.”

“I won’t,” Kenma promised, almost laughing despite himself. Shouyou seemed to have that ultra-rare quality of making Kenma feel less anxious that only Kuroo or being alone could produce. He’d have to cross Kuroo off that list for the time being because he was standing on top of a chair and hitting his nails against the glass in his hand.

He proceeded to smash the cup on the ground when almost nobody looked up at him. “Thank you. I’ve just got a thing or two to say before we get to the main event of the evening. First of all…” Kenma could see the way Kuroo wobbled on the chair even as far out of the spotlight as his corner. If that idiot fell off the glass wouldn’t be the only thing smashed that evening. Kenma would rather order food by himself than heal _another_ of his boyfriend’s drunken mistakes. Kuroo could go to Suga and pay him a disgusting amount of money to fix a broken nose since he seemed to have developed a talent for spending too much money.

‘Right.” Kuroo shook himself to attention. The chair wavered dangerously. “A shoutout to my new buddy the Avatar. He’s hiding somewhere in here so you gotta say hi to him fo’ me.” Idiot. “Second, y’all gotta be proud of yourselves. You’ve made it further than anyone else and deserve this night before we take on the Championship Tournament. Thanks to all the support we’ve gotten from our loved ones. Y’all are the best for puttin’ up with our shit. It’s only gonna get more intense fro here, but let’s have a night to have fun beforehand, eh? BUT WHO’S READY TO KICK ASS?” Kuroo roared above the crowd’s sudden cheer. Daichi, who happened to be standing closest to the accident waiting to happen, reached out to steady him. Kuroo thanked his helper by grabbing the drink right out of his hand. Kenma was going to strangle him for sure.

His ears were going to start bleeding from the noise if he stayed any longer.

Some of the drink sloshed onto the floor when Kuroo waved his hand around like a pirate captain on some foreign shore. “Thirdly, I’d like ta get the ballsiest of you badasses up here. Aki! Where you at?” He _did_ fall off the chair, but the attention in the room shifted just then.

A man so nervous his blond hair was dark with stress-sweat was pushed to the centre of the crowd, protesting weakly. So _this_ was Kuroo’s big plan. It was a good thing he’d planned it to happen in front of some of the best benders in the city so Akiteru couldn’t chicken out like the last three times.

“Fucking _finally_ ,” a tree of a young man said from where he was leaning against the wall on the other side of Shouyou. Right. Kei. Akiteru’s younger brother was likely the one who’d suggested to Kuroo the championship party would be the best place to do it. He was probably more tired of Akiteru’s nervousness than Saeko.

“Um, Saeko? Can you c’mere?” Akiteru croaked. He looked like he was about to pass out from something other than alcohol, although that was definitely at play on at least Saeko’s front. She pushed her way through the crowd in an outfit that was so sparsely cut the Council probably had a law against it. Still, her smile was a cautious mix of knowing and hope that was softer than almost any expression Kenma had ever seen.

“So, ah, we’ve known each other for a long time,” he began.

Saeko rolled her eyes. “Duh, since I hit you with my motorbike and you tried to take me out for coffee to make up for scratching my paint.” That earned a laugh from all those watching.

“Ehe, right. I’ve realized since then that neither of us know how to say no to each other, and maybe that’s a good thing. Hell, the last few years have been the happiest of my life. We’ve gone through so much together that I think you’ve made me nearly invincible. You’ve always been bulletproof, so I guess I’m just hopin’ to provide a little extra padding… Ah, fuck, you know that’s not what I mean. I had an entire fuckin’ speech planned out and everything! Anyways,” he took a deep, steadying breath as the atmosphere in the restaurant changed, “I love you. So. Damn. Much. More than three little words can ever express, but… Shit. Just marry me, Saeko, and make me the happiest and most terrified husband in the world. Please.”

Akiteru seemed to realize he’d forgotten something before dropping to one knee. Not even the fly buzzing in the window dared to breathe.

“It’s about time, you sissy shit! I was startin’ to think I was gonna go gray before you got around to it,” she laughed good naturedly before socking Akiteru in the shoulder. “Get up here and gimme a kiss!”

He obliged quickly, bumping noses before finding their own unique rhythm. A second later he held up a small black box and flicked it open with his thumb.

Saeko’s eyes widened at what she saw inside once they broke away from a disturbingly sensual kiss for being in front of an audience. Shouyou was probably no more than sixteen.

She whistled. “Damn. Now that is a _rock_. Yes, of fuckin’ course I’ll marry you, you idiot. Just don’t leave me hangin’ on kids as long as you did this, m’kay?” They were both teary-eyed and grinning. Kenma felt a little swell of happiness for them in his chest. It was impossible not to, really. Shouyou looked about ready to explode from excitement, knees bumping up against the underside of the table in one of the sweetest displays of emotion Kenma had ever witnessed. Maybe one day, in a different lifetime, Kuroo would do something like this again but for _them_. Without the audience, of course, and in a much quieter place.

Much, _much_ quieter. For whatever reason, the switch turned off then. As far as Kenma could tell, the cheering started on the other side of the room, but it spread quicker than the half-second it took for him to cover his ears. It was like they’d all started to scream at once and it was so loud the water in Shouyou’s cup started to ripple and the windows almost shook.

Kenma pressed his chin into his chest so hard his neck cracked. Maybe if he shrank enough he could disappear from the noise entirely, because the party had clearly just begun.

“Out,” he croaked with the little air left in his lungs. The air in the room had retreated to the safety of the street. Street. That was a thought Kenma could process. “I want out.”

There was no way his tiny plea could’ve been heard over the chant that had started, but a hand he barely registered as Shouyou’s tugged him through the diner.

“Kenma?” Shouyou started, dropping Kenma’s wrist once they’d made it to the safety of the street. “I’m sorry… If I knew they’d be that loud we coulda come outside earlier.”

Kenma finally gulped in a breath. His thoughts turned to more controlled breathing to centre himself. “Not your fault,” he sniffled. His hands had gone numb some time ago, probably from covering his ears.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Kenma coughed. “I just need to walk for a bit.” He bent one of the puddles from the morning’s rain into a ball of ice and crushed it with his hands- the most efficient calming tool. _Swish, fwop, crick. Swish, fwop, crick._

Shouyou’s eyebrows raised in confusion before giving a sympathetic smile. “Oh, alright. I’ll let someone know you left. Stay safe, okay? I hope you feel better soon so we can train together next time!” He gave Kenma one final concerned look before retreating back inside. Phew. Kenma’s hands still held a tremor, but he was finally alone.

~~~

Kenma knew he was being followed less than two blocks later. He had been starting to feel a touch less anxious with every step away from the wretched place. Kuroo was an idiot for forcing him to come in the beginning.

“Shouyou?” Kenma’s voice was small and wavering in the damp night air. No sound perked at his ears. He took a few steps, just to get to the next doorway. Something scratched at the ground half a block back.

He stopped without any prior indication and bent a slew of drainwater towards whoever was following him before breaking into a sprint. Somebody shouted.

For the second time in less than ten minutes, Kenma’s heart was on the verge of shutting down entirely.

He turned blindly at the next corner, stumbling to a stop before he hit the brick wall. _Of course_ he had gone out on his own and _of course_ he had gone and trapped himself in a damn dead-end alley. He backed into the corner and whimpered when his outstretched hands hit stone. Shit. This was very, very bad, and Kuroo was blocks away and too drunk to be of any help. Shouyou, maybe? No. There was no way he’d here Kenma calling for him this far away.

A duo emerged from the fog in Kenma’s mind. Identically clad, they wore dark skinsuits with their faces obscured by green-tinted goggles and some sort of face coverings. Not one of the dangerous gangs, then. His shoulders almost sagged in relief with knowing he hadn’t accidentally wandered into someone else’s territory. But that didn’t answer the question of _who_ , let alone why he was being followed.

They spread out to cover more of the alley, effectively cornering Kenma. One of them pulled out some sort of stick that pulsed dramatically with an electric current. Kenma didn’t know what they were, but it was definitely evil. He had less than a second to come up with a plan, but it seemed to work nonetheless. The air. It had rained earlier and it was still humid enough to steal the water from it.

Kenma flattened the lightning stick-wielder against the side of the alley with the water he’d pulled from the air and used the spin of his attack to kick the other one’s outstretched hand away so forcefully he heard a _snap_. Stumbling back onto the larger street, he dropped the water in surprise.

A third masked assailant stood inches from him. The mask only covered the top half of the face, so Kenma could still see the half-smirk on their face when they dropped to one knee. Why? Oh. That was why. Kenma had only just noticed the lighting-stick.

It didn’t hurt, per se, but he couldn’t bite back a cry from between gritted teeth as every muscle in his body clenched in tandem. He collapsed into the puddle around him once the smirker stopped electrocuting it. He could feel his head hit the ground, at the very least, but his mind had suddenly become foggy.

The lightning-stick had dipped into the water at least once more before Kenma felt rope binding his wrists. Something of similar material, a cloth, maybe, went between his teeth. The sky seemed to split with a monstrous rumbling that stopped before them and ended in a squeak. His feet left the ground before finding purchase on something metal. A van, perhaps? That would explain the rumbling. Kenma spread his bare toes to get a sense of his surroundings when his eyes failed to open. Rather, they seemed heavier than a few seconds ago. Whatever space he was in grew darker still when his head fell to the side. They were speaking quietly, voices warbling like they were underwater.

_Oh, shoe must be gone_ , he struggled to piece together more of the thought, _Maybe Kuroo’ll find it tomorrow. The idiot_...

The last thing Kenma could piece together was the notion he had no idea if he himself was the bigger idiot of the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed none of the paragraphs are properly indented, but oh well. I ain't spacing it all out. Things should start heating up next chapter :D

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I'm hoping to update every ten days or so, but life sometimes happens. That being said, comments help writing get done faster- any writer on this website can tell you that. I'd really appreciate feedback on this. Thanks to everyone who read my little bundle of paragraphs I posted a few days ago!! Also, don't think I'm just sticking with this AU; I've got several ideas in the works for other genres and fandoms, so stay tuned!


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